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One of my sister Alison's favourite things about her first trip to Barcelona (and Spain for that matter) was churros! Churros are a fried dough snack that originated in Spain, and are popular for breakfast or a snack throughout the day.
A churro is a high fat treat. The dough is squeezed out through a machine called a 'churrera', and this creates long, ridged bits of dough. They are then fried in oil until they are crunchy on the outside and a little doughy still in the middle.
The best way to eat them is to dip them in hot chocolate - how evil is that!!
We came across a fabulous old churrerias - a shop specialising in them - and couldn't resist an afternoon snack : ) Leave a Comment
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I live in Barcelona and would like to give some tips for people who come and visit the city and want some REAL typical BCN/Catalan food. The area around La Rambla is fantastic to take a stroll, but it's a definitely a no-go area when it comes to food! In the small streets of the Barrio Gotico there are some nice places, but the Eixample, Gracia and Sant Gervasi offer a lot more. If you want to eat tapas the right way, La Cerveseria Catalana (Rambla Catalunya), TapaTapa (Passeig de Gracia), Lizarran (Typical Basque tapas) or Irati (Calle de la Palla) are the places to go, NOTE: do not always expect nice silverware or extremely friendly service, it's tapas we're eating folks, not dinner :-). Be aware of the fact that practically all restaurants in Barcelona (and the rest of Spain for that matter) offer a "MENU A MEDIODIA" (lunch menu from 14:00 to 16:30) which is a very economic way to try typical Spanish dishes. For sandwiches, do not go to chains like Pan&Co or Bocatta, but go and find one of the smaller bakeries such as Moli Vell or any place that puts FORN on it, and you won't be disappointed, Bopan on Rambla Catalunya/Calle Provenza is my personal favourite, not cheap, but real value for money! There is another top classc place on Rambla Catalunya, just before getting to Placa Catalunya. For pizzas, go to "Al Passatore" on Via Laietana, La Bella Napoli on Calle Casanova, Little Italy in the El Born area. For good paella's, Elx is one of the best places (there is one on Calle Vila i Vila in the Poble Sec area, and another one in the Maremagnum). For Barcelona's famous seafood, Botafumeiro is the place to be, it is very expensive though (80 E pp). But there's more, The Lobster House on Calle Paris/Calle Aribau is perfect to enjoy some nice fresh prawns or Lobster (what's in a name?). Near the Sagrada Familia is a place where all kinds of seafood and shellfish are actually "swimming around" in aquariums, so you can pick the ones you want to eat, and they will be prepared for you right there!
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Being a graphic designer myself I pay atention to this kind of things. BCN is really a trandy city in this aspec, you will find many exhibitions, studies, agencies, and the best spanish graphic design come from this city, I must admit.
You will notice that in the exhibitions posters, leaflets... and in many cool shops. Leave a Comment
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Lunch and dinner in Spain usually starts later that in the rest of Europe.
Most people will have lunch from 14.00 to 16.00 and dinner from 21.00 to 23.30.
One thing that we noticed is that you are usually rushed in the restaurant.
Most of the time the waiter will come and take your order just a minute after you receive the menu, then if you order appetizers and main courses often you get one before finishing the other.
Then you are rushed into ordering desert and/or coffee... and you might or not be given the bill.
After that, however, the waiter will leave you alone for as long as you want. Often you would see people just talking after the desserts for more than an hour... strange. Leave a Comment
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Unlike many other places in Europe, in Barcelona most restaurants do not state the prices including the VAT. The menu must clearly say if it is included or not (most of the times it is not).
Look for something like "7% IVA no incluído". Sometimes there is also a service or cover charge (generally expressed as a charge for bread in the menu). Leave a Comment
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As a rule, the best way for you to enjoy local food without spending a fortune is having the main meal at lunchtime (as we locals do). Look for “Menu del dia” at most restaurants (3 courses for a fixed price, including drinks, from let’s say 7 to 20 euros, depending on the place). These “menus” are usually offered only on weekdays (even on Sat-Sun some places have menu option too, but probably more expensive than from Mon to Fri).
For dinner, you may have just some tapas/pintxos or a sandwich/ salad. Of course at any non-touristy spot, in the touristy restaurants you will spend A LOT of money to eat very little, as they charge too much for very small tapas). By the way, “tapas” are a relatively new thing in Barcelona, but this will be another tip. Leave a Comment
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Believe or not, tapas are not typical from Barcelona. It's a relatively new thing, and for people of my parent's age, these are not a 'proper' meal :)
The typical custom was having a 'vermut' on Sunday morning = Going out to have a drink (can be the tap-vermouth, but as well wine, beer...) and some food. Ideally, on a sunny terrace seeing the world going on and discussing about 'all human and divine' with friends :)
You can find many of these old little places to have a 'vermut' at La Barceloneta, or any popular neighborhood. La Bombeta is a good old place to do that, with some good traditional foods
In the city centre, and next to the tourist sights, be careful as most 'tapas' restaurants (not all) will be chain Basque-style places. More expensive, even food is usually ok (or even good). But as authentic as McDonalds.
As said, when we Catalans go out for tapas, is something 'foreing' for us (this does not mean we do not like it). So we say "let's go to a Basque tonight" nearly like we could say "let's go to a Chinese" :) So, the best bet of finding the "real" stuff is going to Basque restaurants as Maitea (near Hospital Clinic). Galician eateries usually have great tapas options too (some in Gotic, around c/. Ample). The Andalucian places are the best to sample great "pescadito frito" (quite a few around La Barceloneta, even the best and cheapest ones are quite out of the way, where people of Andalucian descent do live).
Other good places, authentic classics of Barcelona, even a bit out of the way:
- "El Tomas" in c/. Major de Sarrià. The best "bravas" in town! (incidentally, the pic above was taken there)
- Can Toni in Rambla del Poble Nou. Excellent deal on its tapas menu
- La Esquinica in Nou Barris, Fabra i Puig 296
As well, you can find creative tapas in many trendy restaurants (so many around), especially at El Born, the hypest part of the city. If budget is not an issue, and you want to sample really imaginative stuff, Comerç 24 (surprisingly located in, lets guess... carrer Comerç 24!) is quite interesting, but on teh expensive side. Leave a Comment
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Each part of Spain has different and distinctive typical dishes. You can find most of them in Barcelona, both in specialized regional restaurants, and in regular or touristy places. Many tourists ask for some dishes as gazpacho, paella, etc thinking these are typical from here, when they are not.
When you are in Catalonia, it seems more logical trying some really traditional food from the area.
Catalan dishes you may try are:
- esqueixada (salad of preserved cod with tomato, bell peppers and olives)
- escalivada (roasted vegetables) usually served as side dish
- fricandó amb moixernons (veal meat with mushrooms)
- suquet de peix (traditional fishermen’s fish stew)
- escudella (traditional soup made with meat and vegetables, that you eat later as main dish... not a summer thing!!)
- cargols (snails)... yes these are very popular here. I can't eat them indeed. I tried, but I can't ;o)
- crema catalana (similar to creme brulee) for dessert
You can find these at many restaurants
But what I would say is more different at Catalan cuisine from other dishes from Spain, is the use of some sweet and sour combinations, as ànec amb peres (duck with pears) or pollastre amb prunes i pinyons (chicken with dried plums and pinenuts).
Other very traditional Catalan dishes that my friends from other parts of Spain find amusing (if not plain disgusting) are the ones that mix meat and seafood, like mandonguilles amb sepia (meatballs with sauce and pieces of cuttlefish) or pollastre amb llamàntol (chicken with lobster).
Bon profit! Leave a Comment
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I heard sometimes in the forums that most Catalan people would rater prefer to speak English than Spanish to foreigners. This has part of reality, but not due the political reasons some may think. The fact is that still very few people have a decent level of English, apart from the ones working in the touristy industry and services. Therefore, if you ask something in English to a random person on the street, and it happens this person do speak English, yes... probably he/she would prefer to practice English with you (rater than speak Spanish that’s a daily thing!)
In any case, here as everywhere in the world, the "golden rule" usually works well: be polite and smile!
Here you have some useful words/expressions:
English / Catalan / Spanish (Castilian)
Hello / Hola / Hola
Good morning / Bon dia / Buenos días
Good afternoon / Bona tarda / Buenas tardes
Good evening / Bona nit / Buenas noches
Thank you / Gràcies / Gracias
Please / Sisplau / Por favor
Excuse me / Perdoni / Perdone
I'm sorry / Em sap greu / Lo siento
Goodbye / Adéu / Adios
See you later / Fins després / Hasta luego
Hi, I don’t speak Catalan / Spanish, do you speak English?
Hola, no parlo Català / Castellà, vosté parla Anglés?
Hola, no hablo Catalán / Castellano, usted habla Inglés?
You can hear the expressions in Catalan above, and more, here:
intercat.cesca.es/guia/angles/index Leave a Comment
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This is La Sardana,a typical catalan dance.When I was walking by the Barri Gotic,just at Town Hall square many people were dancing a few sardanas there.As you can see in the picture,is a quiet dance and everybody make a circle with the hands. Leave a Comment
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- Mitre
Bertran 9-15, Barcelona - Alba Pension
Carrer de l'Hospital 83, Barcelona - Hostal Del Mar
Plaza Palacio 19 PLA DE PALAU, Barcelona - Condes de Barcelona
Paseo de Gracia 73-75, Barcelona - Husa Hotel Barcelona Mar
Provencals 10, Barcelona - Dante
Calle Mallorca 181, Barcelona - Husa L Illa Hotel
Av. Diagonal 555, Barcelona - Apartamentos Mur-Mar
34 Ramblas Del Teatre Square, Barcelona - Hotel Rey Juan Carlos I
Avenida Diagonal 661 - 667, Barcelona - Clarion Hotel Don Jaime
Avenida del Hotel 22, Barcelona - Princesa Sofia Gran Hotel
Plaza Pio XII 4, Barcelona - Solvasa Barcelona
Ciencias 98 - 100 Esq Miguel Hernandez, Barcelona - Medium Prisma
Josep Tarradellas 119-121, Barcelona - Atenea
Joan Guell 207-211, Barcelona - Catalonia Córcega
C/ Corcega 368, Barcelona
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